


Feel the Burn

by grantaire_the_cynic



Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: M/M, New Year's Resolutions, Pining, The Bernie Sanders Pick up line no one asked for, sort of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-04
Updated: 2017-01-04
Packaged: 2018-09-14 21:03:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,017
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9203081
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/grantaire_the_cynic/pseuds/grantaire_the_cynic
Summary: Enjolras really wants to date (and more) Grantaire. Grantaire makes a really bold resolution.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This is for grantaire-the-drunken-artist.tumblr.com/
> 
> Especially since they came up with the pick up line and this whole thing is all their fault :)

Grantaire sat in the Musain, hand wrapped around a half finished beer. He had his head in his other hand, complaining to Joly about his love life.

“Joly, we can’t all have game like you do. Some of us lost the game at birth.”

“Oh stop being melodramatic R. I have seen very few nights that you don’t take someone home.”

“That’s not the same, Joly. Game is long term. What I have is an ability to find other desperate souls like myself who need a night together.”

“Not so different, R. How many of those were like you, looking for something now and later?”

“Are you saying I’m candy?”

“Well you are pretty sweet.” Courfeyrac said, sliding into the booth with them. “Anyway, our fearless leader is here and you know he is all business and no pleasure, so before his Spidey Senses flair, let’s stop this talk of midnight trysts.”

“Evesdropping Courf?” Grantaire said, nudging him. 

“No, not at all. I totally didn’t hear you and Joly debating whether hook ups count as game or not.”

Grantaire laughed and shook his head. “Right. Not eavesdropping at all.”

Courfeyrac shook his head. “So anyway Capitol R, why all the talk of hook ups with such a long face?”

“What happened to business before pleasure?” Grantaire asked. They looked up and saw Enjolras and Combeferre conversing quietly. 

“Obviously we have a few minutes. So, why all the talk of hook ups with such a long face?”

“It’s obvious, Courf.” Joly said. “Clearly R fancies someone and is killing time, so to speak.”

“I didn’t say that!” Grantaire protested. Joly rolled his eyes.

“R, you’re not subtle. Not at all.”

“Joly is right my friend. Your staring every meeting, constant debating, and preference for blond hook ups is a dead give away.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Grantaire said. 

“Whatever. Anyway, so, tell me about Brandon, or was his name Phil? I was a bit drunk when you introduced me.”

“His name was Dennis, and honestly, he wasn’t that good.”

“Oh really? How so?”

“Courf are you REALLY asking me to kiss and tell?”

“Duh, now spill.”

“Fine, fine. So we left the bar and it seemed like it’d be a decent evening, but after we got to my place he didn’t want to go farther than the living room, and he wouldn’t take off all his clothes. Which was fine at first, I mean some people like to fuck with their socks on. What ever works for you. Anyway, I was blowing him on the couch and he didn’t seem too concerned about choking me- no restraint. Fortunately he wasn’t all that big. Anyways, I totally thought I did a bangorang job blowing him, but afterwards not only did we not fuck, but he didn’t return the favor, he didn’t stick around, nothing. He just shrugged and left. Not a great evening. If that’s all he wanted I’d have just blown him in the bathroom and found a better partner for the night.” Grantaire slumped against his arm, downing his beer.

“What an asshole.” Joly said, shaking his head. “I hope he’s not some skeeze who uses hook ups to scope out places to rob. Also I hope for the love of all that is good you used protection!”

“Good fucking luck. I share an apartment with Bahorel. And I actually did this time. I’ll admit my personal habits when it comes to oral sex can be, lax, but last night it wasn’t.” Grantaire started on his second beer.

“Good. Because I’m going to start putting a shock collar on you if you don’t start making better choices.”

“Kinky.”

Nearby, Enjolras was preparing to start the meeting and absolutely not listening to their conversation. Well, until Grantaire started talking about his hook up. Then his face darkened and he couldn’t help the couple angry noises that escaped him. It was not fair, Enjolras thought to himself, he would have treated Grantaire right. Enjolras hated hearing these conversations. It just increased his desire for Grantaire to take him home. He would treat him so much better than these faceless people who used him to get off for a night, many without even returning the favor. (Enjolras ignored the little voice in his head that reminded him that he could take Grantaire home with him.) Half of Grantaire’s stories ended with him in the bathroom and going home to finish himself off. It upset him to no end.

“Fuck why does he have to be so passive aggressively judgmental?” Grantaire grumbled. “We can’t all get off on spreading liberty or what ever the fuck he thinks he’s doing.”

“Relax, R. I doubt he’s judging you. Hell, he’s probably just grumbling over meeting notes being all mixed up. Or missing.”

“Courf, he does that EVERY TIME we talk about my hook ups. Is it so bad to have an active sex life?”

They couldn't finish their conversation as Enjolras called the meeting to order.

\--------------------------------***---------------***----------------***-----------------------------------------

“Enj, I know for a fact that you could score a date today with the right phone call.” Courfeyrac said, flopping down onto Enjolras’ couch. He’d spent the last fifteen minutes listening to Enjolras complain about how he absolutely does NOT “get off” on his work and is in fact a grown man with needs.

“Courfeyrac, I don’t want an escort!” Enjolras closed his book.

“I’m hurt! I wouldn’t never suggest an escort would be a date! And besides, you can’t fuck an escort.” Courfeyrac had his hands over his heart. Enjolras made a face.

“Besides, I don’t want just any date.” Enjolras said, looking to Combeferre for back up.

“What our fearless leader is trying to say is that he has a little crush. Well a large one, but the point stands.” Combeferre didn’t look up from the email he was typing.

“Obviously, Ferre, I just want to hear it from Enjolras himself. So, who’s the lucky man?”

“Does it matter? He’s not going to go out with me. I’m pretty sure he doesn’t even like me. And he’s fond of, what is it you say Courf, hit it and run?”

Courfeyrac snorted. “It sounds less cool when you say it. Hmmm, now who do we know that riles up Enjolras and has had several hook ups as of late? I wonder who that could be?”

Enjolras blushed a deep red. “No one. It doesn’t matter.”

“Oh it does, it does matter. Enj, you can charm a crowd of hundreds, what’s so hard about asking R out on a date?”

“Who said it was R?” Enjolras stared down Courfeyrac, still blushing.

“It’s pretty obvious, Enjolras, by the way you are blushing redder than that coat you love for some unknown reason. It’s obvious to everyone except you two knuckle heads.”

“Right, well then, if it’s so obvious what should my plan be?”

Courfeyrac grinned. “Oh that’s easy.”

“Are you sure about this, Courf?” Enjolras asked, one week later, looking at himself in the mirror. He was wearing tight black skinny jeans and a red button down shirt. Courfeyrac was standing next to him, combing his hair. 

“Positive. Trust me. Now, just a tiny bit of gel.”

“Why?” 

“Trust me. We’re not going to do anything majorly different. Same style, just a little bit slicker- like you would at work.”

Enjolras sighed and nodded. “And you’re SURE he likes me?”

“Enjolras, I went drinking with him, Joly and crew, and Bahorel and he spend half the night complaining about how perfect you are and how unattainable you are and the other half drinking and looking for a hook up. Trust me. He’s in deep. And he went home alone last night.” Courfeyrac added, noting the look on Enjolras’ face.

“And you have a plan for this evening?”

“I already called ‘Chetta at the Musain. She’s going to “regretfully” inform us that our usual spot is taken- which it kind of is. There’s a rehearsal dinner there tonight. Anyway, it’s taken so we’ll have to use the large round table. Very English. And you’ll just happen to sit next to R.”

Enjolras nodded. This was going to be a disaster. He could tell already.

Grantaire, Joly, Bossuet, and Bahorel were already present and seated when Enjolras arrived. Courfeyrac nudged him towards the empty seat next to Grantaire and Enjolras slid into it, avoiding eye contact at first.

“Ferre just texted,” Courfeyrac said, “He’s running late. He said you could start without him, but he has the notes on his laptop and is currently stuck on the metro.”

“We’ll wait.” Enjolras said. 

“I thought Ferre was more punctual than this.” Grantaire said. 

“He usually is. The trains must be running behind.”

“And how did we end up sitting together? Usually you try to stay as far away as possible.”

“I do not try, Grantaire, you just enjoy sitting in the back and I can’t run meetings from the back.”

“It’s only the back because you choose the opposite side. It could just as easily be the front.” Grantaire sipped from his beer. Enjolras was about to retort when he felt his phone buzz.

message from Courf: call him R. all his FRIENDS call him R.

Enjolras looked up at Courfeyrac, who just raised an eyebrow. “Was that Ferre, Enj? Because he just texted me. Shouldn’t be long now.”

“Uhm, yes. Yes it was. We’ll give him a few more minutes then we’ll get started.”

“So, R, you’ve been here early quite a bit all of a sudden. What changed your schedule?”

“Just some work I’ve been doing for ‘Chetta. She commissioned me to do a mural upstairs in the large group rooms.”

Enjolras couldn’t hide the look of surprise. “Really? I didn’t know that. I’ll make sure to start reserving an upstairs table when you’ve finished.”

“You don’t have to do that, Enj. You don’t have to pretend to like my work.”

“Who said anything about pretending? And you haven’t even let us see it yet, so let us judge. Anyway, what are you painting?”

“Well, each area has a theme. The party room has murals of DJs and dancing people, music notes, that kind of thing. Another couple areas are for more serious parties so they’re more floral and formal.”

“That sounds really nice, R. We all will be thrilled to see it when it’s done.”

Grantaire was going to respond, but Combeferre burst into the Musain and rushed over to them.

“Sorry, sorry, so sorry. I missed my connection and then there was a delay on the track. I hope you all haven’t been waiting too long. Here are the notes Enjolras. From now on we’re using Google.”

\----------------------------------***---------------------***---------------***---------------------------------------------------

“So tell me again,” Enjolras said, his head hanging off of Courfeyrac’s couch, “What exactly did R say to you last night?”

“Do I need to fucking quote it for you Enj? I gave you the play by play already.”

“Humor me Courf, and stop being moody. You’re the one who’s still hung over at three in the afternoon.”

“Fair point. Anyway he said, and I’m quoting the best I can:

Courf, he was asking about my artwork. My fucking artwork. Like, like he was actually interested! He wants to see it. What’s he playing at Courf? And why is this pure torture??”

Enjolras nodded. “So he thinks I’m torturing him? And this is a good thing?”

“Yeah. Sort of. Keep at it Enj. Keep at it. He’s talking about you more. This is good.”

Musichetta kept them at the round table for the weeks leading up to the holidays. Totally not because she was helping Courfeyrac and Enjolras with their plan. Totally.

Every time he saw Grantaire Enjolras made it his goal to learn something new about him. He kept their private conversations light hearted and away from politics. But he never managed to push it further. He often went home burning with jealousy as he saw Grantaire chat up someone at the bar and lead them out on his arm. Despite Enjolras wanting to continue wooing Grantaire, he was glad for their break for Christmas. It meant he wouldn’t have to see Grantaire leave with another person he intended to bed.

“Just ask him out already!” Combeferre said one day, fed up with Enjolras complaining.

“Next meeting, just drop a pick up line and go.” Courfeyrac added.

“I can’t just ask him out like that. Asking him out of the blue would make him think I’m not sincere. I need to get to know him, let him get to know me first.”

 

\---------------------------***-----***----***-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Fuck, Courfeyrac, this isn’t normal! He talks to me all the time. Literally all the time. He makes a point to have a full conversation with me every time he sees me! And he’s always touching- not like that get your mind out of the gutter- me. Squeezing my arm, hugging, shaking hands, nudging, shoving. Asking me if I’ve seen the latest political whatever. It’s not right Courf!”

“Tell me again how all of this is a bad thing? You want him to be interested in you don’t you?”

“Yes, but he’s not interested so this is weird!”

“You are both fucking hopeless.” Courfeyrac said, shaking his head. “Why don’t you just go up to him and be like ‘Hey, Enj, I like you. Can I take you one a date? And maybe blow you or more at some point?”

Grantaire groaned. “Fuck, Courf, he doesn’t even like me. I can’t just walk up to him and ask him if I can go down on him. That’s not a good way to start a relationship! Fucking hell.”

“Okay, fine, ask him out and then on the third date as him if you can go down on him.”

Grantaire threw his arms up in defeat. 

Later, when he relayed this conversation to Enjolras, he sighed when Enjolras blushed and buried his face into a pillow.

 

\-----------------------***--------------------***---------------***-------------------------------------------------------

The Amis annual New Years Eve party was in full swing. It was eleven forty five and they were all gathered around the TV for the countdown. Bahorel and Courfeyrac had gone around switching everyone’s beer or cocktails out for champagne. Grantaire was sprawled out on the couch, Enjolras next to him.

“Alright, the annual Amis toast will commence after the clock strikes twelve!” Courfeyrac announced. Grantaire was holding a glass of champagne in one hand, and downing a cocktail with his other.

Enjolras watched his friends counting down and kissing at midnight. His eyes darted to Grantaire, wishing he could go over and kiss him firmly. Their eyes met for a moment and both men looked away.

“Alright chaps and chapettes: Raise your glasses and let’s say our resolutions!” Courfeyrac shouted.

“I am NOT raising my arm for that long!” Joly protested. “Gentlemen and ladies, raise your glasses AFTER we all discuss our individual resolutions!”

“Fine, fine, fine. Okay, I’ll go first,” Courfeyrac said, raising his glass, “My resolution is twofold. One, I am going to make love to Jehan every day. Twice on Saturdays. At least.” there were several groans, “And second, on a more serious note. I am going to make it my goal this year to spend more time with all of you fine people. Life is too short to miss out on friendship.”

There were several shouts of “here here!” as everyone took a sip.

“Okay! Ferre! Resolve! Go!” Courfeyrac said. Combeferre raised his glass slightly. 

“Like every year, my resolution is to be the best me I can.”

“Marius!”

“I will not be scared of Cosette’s father this year. Also,” he looked around, confirming, again, that Cosette was indeed not at their party and still with her father (he kept thinking she was going to surprise him). “I also will ask her to marry me before spring.”

They all clapped and sipped more champagne.

“Jehan!”

“Write more, love more, and let go of the little things.”

“Eponine!”

“Fuck you Courf! I don’t make resolutions.”

“Spoil sport! Fine, Feuilly!”

“Resolutions are just an illusion of self improvement. We should all strive for our best every day.”

“Is everyone a fucking philosopher? Bahorel!”

“Chew more bubble gum and kick more ass.”

“Musichetta!”

“What Bahorel said.”

“Joly!”

“I second Feuilly’s emotion.”

“As do I.” Bossuet said, “though I would like to ditch the attitude of bad luck. Luck is what you make of it. Right?”

“Let us all hope so. Enjolras!”

“I happen to agree with Ferre, we should all strive to be the best we can be. However, an excuse for self improvement is never remiss, so, I strive to spend this year finding a better balance between work and friends. They don’t always have to happen together.”

“I’ll believe that when I see it.” Grantaire mumbled. 

“Yes, R, I can agree with that.” Courfeyrac said after sipping his champagne. “So, R, you’re up.”

“Well,” he said, clearly drunk. “I had intended on giving up excessive drunkeness, but then I decided that I need a better resolution because fuck that. So, this year, I am not sucking any more cock. I’m done. It never turns out well, so this year I’m giving zero blowjobs. No more hook ups.”

The room was quiet for a moment, then a few people giggled and whispered bets of how long that would last.

“Good luck with that, man.” Courfeyrac said. “But maybe don’t be so drastic. Zero is a small number and three hundred and sixty five is a lot of days. Perhaps cut down on instead of eliminate?”

“Yeah, no, we’ll see. But probably none.” Grantaire downed most of his champagne.

Enjolras forced himself to keep a good poker face. Hearing Grantaire say he was completely swear off blowjobs made Enjolras suddenly realize that he would be included in that zero.

He finished his champagne and decided it was time to make a better plan.

****

Following the holidays, they resumed their meeting schedule. They were now meeting upstairs in one of the newly renovated large group rooms of the Musain. This one was full of couches and end tables and the walls were a giant mural of a city skyline.

“Ladies and gents, happy new year!” Courfeyrac said, “and welcome to ‘Chetta’s new upstairs Musain, wall art courtesy of our very own Capitol R!” 

They erupted into applause, causing R to blush and duck his head. “It isn’t all that great.” he mumbled. 

“It’s great, R. I mean, it really makes this space come alive.” Enjolras said, squeezing Grantaire’s arm. He stayed on the couch next to Grantaire for the meeting.

“So Grantaire, now that you’ve finished here, what’s your next project?” Enjolras asked him while people worked on their tasks for the next meeting.

“Nothing much. I’m doing some logo designs for a couple local businesses.”

“So you have more free time now?”

“Yeah, why?”

They were interrupted by Courfeyrac and Jehan arriving at the meeting loudly. Later, when they had finished the meeting and were just hanging out, Enjolras checked his phone. 

text from Courf: ASK. HIM. OUT.

Enjolras bit his lip. Courfeyrac was right, he needed to just ask Grantaire out and stop this whole back and forth. And stop Courfeyrac and Combeferre’s lectures. But how? He’d never really asked anyone out before. His previous relationships had all been instigated by someone else. Enjolras panicked and said the first thing that came to his mind.

“Hey R are you Bernie Sanders? Because you make me feel the Burn.”

Grantaire blinked, looking at Enjolras in disbelief. What the fuck had he just heard?

“Are.. are you coming onto me with a Bernie Sanders pick up line? Seriously? Why?”

“Because I want to date you. Because you’re a really great person.” he stopped before he said anything embarrassing. 

“Is that why your outfits have been something out of Courfeyrac’s closet? Why you’re always sitting by me, touching me, asking me things? Because you wanted to use a lame pick up line?”

“Yes? Is it so hard to believe that I’m into you?”

Grantaire didn’t respond to that. 

“So, will you go out with me? Even with my bad pick up lines?”

Grantaire thought for a moment then nodded, grinning. “Yeah, yeah I’ll go out with you. Friday? Here?”

“Yeah, Friday, but not here. How about the Corinth? We rarely go there anymore.”

“Yeah, sounds good. I’ll pick you up at six.”

 

By the end of January, Enjolras and Grantaire went out about four times a week and spent quite a bit of time at each other’s apartments. After Grantaire had left to work on a commission, Enjolras turned to Courfeyrac.

“What’s the typical time table for sex in a relationship?”

Courfeyrac dropped the bag in his hands. “Say that again?”

“What is the typical, acceptable time table for adding sex to a relationship?” Enjolras said again, slower this time and trying to mask his irritation.

“That depends on the relationship. Some people have sex on the first date. Others wait months or years. It’s all up to you and your partner.”

“And if your partner swore off oral sex for the year?”

“Then you fuck his brains out.” Courfeyrac joked. “And come on, R was drunk, I doubt he’ll stick to that now that he’s finally in a real relationship. Just give him time.”

 

***

“Okay, so Enjolras really wants to get laid, apparently.” Courfeyrac said before a meeting. It was the first week of February and Courfeyrac, Jehan, Eponine, and Joly had arrived before everyone else to the meeting.

“Does R want to get laid?” Jehan asked.

“Yes. He really, really does. But he’s being stubborn on his whole resolution thing.” Joly said. Eponine smirked.

“Don’t worry, I got this. Because you can cut the sexual tension between those two with a knife. They just need a little....prod.” she smirked again.

“Okay, that’s a wrap guys. Thank you everyone for coming. Hopefully we’ll have the okay from the city for the poster campaign next week and we can begin work. In the meantime, ‘Chetta said she has several drink specials and food specials.” 

“Don’t have to tell me twice.” Grantaire said. He and Eponine went down to the bar and ordered drinks. Eponine also got a few glasses of water for people.

“Water’s on me guys!” she said, passing around glasses. When she got to Enjolras, she accidentally dropped the glass, spilling it all over Enjolras’ white button down. 

“I’m so sorry, Enjolras, here, let me get you some napkins.”

“Dont’ worry about it Ep, I’ll just use the dryer in the bathroom.”

Across the room Grantaire saw the wet spot on Enjolras’ shirt. Or rather he saw the skin now showing through and suddenly his cheeks felt hot. They hadn’t breached this subject yet. Despite the large number of dates they’d squeezed into a month, sex had never come up.

Grantaire found himself standing and following Enjolras into the bathroom. He didn’t know what he would do when he got there.

In the bathroom, he saw Enjolras standing shirtless at the blow dryer. He swallowed thickly. 

“N-need help?” He asked, walking over.

“Oh, hi R, no, I think I’m fine. It’ll be dry soon.”

“Oh, okay. I mean, are you sure?”

“R? Are you okay? You’re flushed.”

“Yeah, I’m....” he surged forward and kissed Enjolras, bringing both hands to his face. Enjolras dropped his shirt and tangled a hand in Grantaire’s hair.

Grantaire reached back to make sure the door was locked, then crowded Enjolras against the wall and kissed him again. 

“Do bathrooms turn you on?” 

“No, but you shirtless does and if you want I’ll blow you right here right now. Fuck New Year’s resolutions.”

“I thought you’d never ask.”

 

They emerged from the bathroom about fifteen minutes later, trying not to look disheveled. Courfeyrac wolf whistled at them. 

“Shut up Courf.” Grantaire said, grinning. “Anyway, we’re going to take off. See you guys later.” he wrapped an arm around Enjolras’ shoulder. 

“Come on Enjolras, let’s go back to mine and make dinner. Then I’ll make sure you feel the burn.”

Enjolras blushed, but grinned as he let Grantaire lead him out.


End file.
